Collapsible step and extension ladder

ABSTRACT

A ladder formed of easily storable sections is quickly assembled to form a step ladder, extension ladder, hoist, scaffolding or fence. The base and top of the extension ladder include separate stabilizers which prevent the ladder from tipping or from damaging the fascia. The upper stabilizer may be converted to perform a second function as a hoist, substantially reducing the cost and space needed for storage of the invention.

BACKGROUND

1. Field

The present invention relates to collapsible ladders and more particularto such ladders which may be disassembled into separate sections.

2. Prior Art

There are prior art ladders that are collapsible as can be seen from thefollowing three patents.

U.S. Pat. No. 3,993,714 is a ladder that can be assembled from sections;however, it is designed for use in climbing poles and must be lashed tothe pole for support.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,493,392 is a collapsible ladder that folds in on itself,but does not separate into sections. The whole weight of the ladder mustbe carried at all times when it is moved, even when it has beencollapsed in preparation to be moved into storage.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,645,140 shows a collapsible ladder in which the supportsrunning from rung to rung are designed to telescope into the supportbelow. This is a complicated, costly design to manufacture. The ladderis never disassembled into sections and the full weight of the laddermust be transported as a unit at all times. This ladder also has abottom stabilizer which only extends in a direction in which the ladderis normally supported and fails to support the ladder in the directionin which it can easily tip in normal use.

The present invention is designed to overcome the shortcomings of theseprior art inventions.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

FIG. 1 is a perspective drawing showing the ladder disassembled intosections and stored on a rack that is constructed of components of theladder.

FIG. 2A is a detailed drawing showing a first means of connecting theladder sections.

FIG. 2B is a detailed drawing showing a second means of connecting theladder sections.

FIG. 2C is a detailed drawing showing a third means of connecting theladder sections.

FIG. 2D is a detailed drawing showing a rectangular cross sectionalconnection.

FIG. 2E is a detailed drawing showing a fourth means of connecting theladder sections.

FIG. 2F is a detailed drawing showing a fifth means of connecting theladder sections.

FIG. 2G is an elevation view of a fence formed of ladder sections usingthe means for connecting shown in FIG. 2F.

FIG. 2H is a detailed drawing showing a sixth means for connecting theladder sections.

FIG. 2I is a vertical elevation of scaffolding formed of ladder sectionsand the means for connecting shown in FIG. 2H.

FIG. 3A shows the sections used to form an extension ladder.

FIG. 3B shows the sections used to form a step ladder.

FIG. 4A shows a top stabilizer that is moveable along the ladder and canbe used to prevent damage to the fascia of a home.

FIG. 4B is a side view of a stabilizer block

FIG. 5A is a plan view of a first hoist for use with the presentinvention.

FIG. 5B is a side elevation view of the hoist shown in FIG. 5A.

FIG. 5C is a plan view of a second hoist for use with the presentinvention.

FIG. 5D is a side elevation view of the second hoist shown in FIG. 5C.

FIG. 6 is a side elevation view of a ladder of the present inventionused with the hoist of FIG. 5A.

SUMMARY

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ladder that can bedisassembled into easily handled sections.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a ladder formed ofsections which can be assembled into a step ladder, an extension ladder,a hoist, scaffolding or a fence and a cart used for transport made fromthe ladders own components.

An object of the present invention is to provide an extension ladderwhich includes both an upper and a lower stabilizer to prevent tippingand damage to the fascia siding or roof of a home.

An object of the present invention is to provide an extension ladderwith means of easily hauling material to the top of the ladder.

The present invention is a ladder formed of easily storable sectionsthat may be quickly assembled to form a step ladder or an extensionladder, a hoist, scaffolding or a fence. The base and top of theextension ladder include separate stabilization sections which preventthe ladder from tipping or from damaging the fascia. The upperstabilizer can be easily converted into a hoist for hauling material tothe top of the ladder.

The separate sections of the ladder permit it to be stored in a smallspace or on a cart which allows storing the ladder in an area that ismuch smaller than that required for a comparable sized extension ladder.The ladder also includes both an upper and a lower stabilizer whichprevents tipping and also holds the ladder away from fascia boards toprevent damage to the fascia often caused by conventional extensionladders.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIG. 1 shows a perspective drawing 1 of the ladder disassembled intosections and stored on a carry cart or rack 2. The rack 2 can be seen tobe holding five sections of the ladder 1A through 1E. The first laddersection 1A can be seen to have three cross runs running horizontally inthe drawing and designed by drawing numbers 3A through 3C. The compactarrangement of storing the ladder sections is shown in FIG. 1 permitsthe present invention to be stored in a relatively small space ascompared to a fully extended extension ladder. The ladder sections areshown spaced apart for clarity, but in normal use the sections arebundled tightly together to provide a small package.

Each ladder section contains a hole, such as hole 42, at the top and thebottom of the rails, or vertical support arms of the ladder sections,such as in rail 3D. This hole is used to permit a stabilizer rod to passthrough the vertical support arms. A stabilizer rod used in this way isshown in FIG. 3A.

These holes are also used to hold an axil on which two wheels such aswheel 41, may be mounted to assist in moving the rack about. A flexiblehandle 37 mounted on the top of the rack is also used to assist inmoving the rack.

The rack is held together by means of rectangular panels 13 and 14A and14B with the aid of tie rods and bolts 40A and 40B, respectively andstop plate 39 and latch 38. Panel 13 is the front panel, 14A is the toppanel and panel 14B is the bottom panel. The panel 13 is used in theassembly of the ladder as shown in FIG. 3B where panel 13 forms the topplate of the ladder.

FIGS. 2A through 2C show three different ways in which the sections canbe connected together. The sections of the ladder are connected togetherat the upper and lower ends of their vertical support arms. It is theends of the vertical support arms that is shown in these Figures and inparticular, the ends of vertical support arms at one side of the ladder.FIG. 2A comprises a first vertical support arm 4 of a first section ofthe ladder, a second vertical support arm 4A of a second section, athird rung 3C extending from the side of vertical support arm 4, and aninsertable locking link 5. In this Figure, the first vertical supportarm 4 is shown cut away in front of the third rung 3C. The rung 3C canbe seen to pass through the vertical support arm 4. The locking link 5is a cylindrical segment that may be formed of many materials includinga short section of pipe having the proper diameter to fit closely withinthe hollow support arm. In the assembly process, the locking link isinserted in the vertical support arm 4. The rung 3C is used as a stopfor the locking link in the support arm 4. Other suitable means offorming a stop may be used, such as a narrowing or a protrusion withinthe vertical support arm. The support arm 4A represents the upper end ofthe support arm from the next adjacent lower section of the ladder. Oncethe locking link 5 has been placed into the hollow center of thevertical support arm 4A, it holds the upper vertical support arm 4 inposition directly above the lower vertical support arm 4A. Although notshown, the first rung of ladder section 4A also has a rung that issimilar to 3C. This rung acts as a stop for the locking link 5 in laddersection 4A.

FIG. 2B is a detailed drawing showing a second means of connecting theladder sections. The vertical support arm 4 and rung 3C are identical tothat shown in FIG. 2A. The difference between this Figure and FIG. 2A iscontained in the lower vertical support arm 4B, which now includes anarrow extension 4C. The extension 4C is designed to fit closely withinthe hollow center of the support arm 4 above it, and lock the supportarm 4A to support arm 4. This arrangement eliminates the need for stopsprovided by the rungs. The wider portion of 4A below the extension actsas a stop and the extension itself eliminates the need for a separatelocking link 5 as was used in FIG. 2A. For this configuration thelocking link is essentially built on to the end of the ladder supportarm.

FIG. 2C is a detailed drawing showing a third means of connecting theladder sections. The upper vertical support arm 4 and the rung 3C areidentical to that shown in FIGS. 2A and 2B. The difference between thisFigure and FIG. 2 a is contained in the lower support arm 4D which isnow sufficiently narrow itself to fit within the hollow center portionof the support arm 4. The vertical support arm 4D remains the samediameter throughout its length. If a ladder section is to be connectedto the lower end of 4D, it must be a wide diameter vertical support armsimilar to that of support arm 4, shown above 4D in FIG. 2C. Alternatewide and narrow sections are used with this type of ladder section tobuild an extension ladder.

It is clear that the connecting links can be either internal orexternal. No links are needed if one member to be connected to a secondmember is at its end sized to fit over the second member or sized to fitinside the second member.

The support arms of the ladder sections need not be circular in crosssection, but can be any one of many different configurations. A commoncross section is rectangular as shown in FIG. 2D, where the uppersupport arm 6A is rectangular and includes a rectangular hollow center.The support arm 6C below that includes a narrow rectangular extension 6Bwhich is used as a locking link and which closely fits within the hollowcenter of the support arm 6A, locking the support arm 6A to that of 6B.There is usually no need to secure the locking link 6B within thesupport arms as the weight of a person on the ladder tends to hold thelocking links in their position within the support arms; however, alocking mechanism such as a thumb screw extending in from the side ofthe support arm and through the side wall of 6A, can be used to applypressure to the locking link 6B to secure it in position, even whenthere is a no one on the ladder.

FIG. 2E is a detailed drawing showing a fourth means of connecting theladder section 32 consisting of a horizontally positioned hollowcylinder 32A and a vertically positioned hollow cylinder 32B that isconnected at one end to the mid section of 32A and is positionedorthogonally to 32A.

FIG. 2F is a detailed drawing showing a fifth means 33 of connecting theladder sections consisting of a first horizontally positioned hollowcylinder 33A, a second horizontally positioned cylinder 32B and avertically positioned hollow cylinder 32C. The first and secondcylinders in this coupling means are orthogonally positioned withrespect to one another and both of these cylinders are orthogonallypositioned with respect to the third cylinder. The first two cylindersare at the same vertical level and are joined to sides of the thirdcylinder. The top of the third cylinder is capped.

The means of connecting 32 and 33 are used with ladder sections to forma fence as shown in FIG. 2G. In the fence, the ladder sections arerotated 90° with respect to their normal position in a ladder. For thestraight position of the fence, the ladder sections are connectedtogether by means of the connecting means 32 along with the locking link5 shown in FIG. 2A. The locking link is slid into both the end of thevertical support arm of the ladder section and into the cylinder 32A.Two connecting means 32 are used for the connectors, one at the top andone at the bottom of the fence. A pipe section, typically of PVC, runsbetween the two means of connecting 34. A useful variation is tosubstitute a modified version of the connecting means 32 which hasanother cylinder identical to cylinder 32B attached diametricallyopposite 32B on the opposite side of 32A to provide a means ofconnecting for a section of pipe that can be used to support the fencein the ground.

A 90° angle in the fence can be accommodated by connecting the laddersections to a connecting means which provide a right angle feature suchas connecting means 33 which has cylinder 33A and 33B at right angles toone another and which are designed to be connected to the ladder sectionusing locking links. A corner post 34 made from a pipe section isconnected to cylinder 33C shown in FIG. 2F.

FIG. 2H is a detailed drawing showing a sixth means for connecting theladder sections to form scaffolding as shown in FIG. 2I. The means forconnection 35 shown in FIG. 2H includes a hollow vertical cylinder 35A,a first horizontally positioned hollow cylinder 35C and a secondhorizontally positioned hollow cylinder 35B. All three cylinders aremutually perpendicular to one another. The cylinders 35B and 35C areconnected to the sides of cylinder 35A.

As can be seen in FIG. 2I, the four fence sections 36A through 36D arepositioned horizontally and are connected to four means for connecting35 designated by drawing numerals 36E through 36H. The locking link 5 isused to make the connections and the fence sections can be secured bypins placed in holes drilled through the fence sections and lockinglinks and holes drilled in the connecting means and the locking links.

FIG. 3A shows the ladder sections connected together to form anextension ladder. This ladder comprises four ladder sections 1, 1A, 1B,and 1C, all of which are held together using the lock link 5 shown inFIG. 2A. This ladder is being used to scale a wall 9 and is held inplace at its base with a bottom stabilizer 10.

The bottom stabilizer 10 comprises a stabilizer rod 10A, a left block10B, a right block 10C, a first spike 10D and a second spike 10E. Aspike is included as a part of each of the stabilizer block. The spikeis used to dig into the soil to prevent movement of the ladder. Theladder as shown in is FIG. 3 is prevented from tipping to the right orleft by means of the bottom stabilizer, which extends out farther thanthe support arms of the ladder. The spikes are dug into the soil toprovide a counter torque to any tipping and holding force against anysliding action of the ladder.

FIG. 3B shows the ladder sections used to form a step ladder 11, wherethe ladder sections are held together by means of a locking link 5. Theladder is shown resting on ground surface 12. This ladder is comprisedof six sections, 11A through 11F., a top plate 13, a locking block 14and a bolt 15. The ladder is assembled by connecting together threeladder section, such as 11A through 11C, by means of locking links 5 andseparately connecting the remaining three section of the ladder 11Dthrough 11F by means of additional locking links 5 to form two halves ofthe ladder which are shown to the left and to the right in FIG. 3B. Theleft and right hand portions of the step ladder are placed together attheir tops and the plate 13 is placed over this point of contact betweenthe left and right hand portions of the ladder. The locking block 14 isplaced below the first rung down from the top of the ladder and has afirst channel on the left and a second channel on the right side toaccept the first rung down on the left and right hand side of the ladderrespectively. This block is pulled up tight against these first rungs bymeans of a bolt 15. The bolt 15 is extended between the top plate 13 anda locking block 14. When it is tightened, it prevents the spreadingapart of the right and left portions any further than the channels inthe locking block 14 will allow the rungs to move.

One useful advantage of the ladder of FIG. 3B is it may be climbed fromeither side or two people can climb opposite sides simultaneously. Thisis very useful when two people are needed to do a job at the top of aladder.

The step ladder of FIG. 3B is prevented from spreading apart by thelocking block 14 and is also prevented from spreading by a chain 11Kwhich has plugs 11K1 and 11K2 attached to its ends as shown in thisFigure. The plugs are inserted into the rung openings. Different chainlengths are provided to accommodate different height ladder assemblies.Two chains maybe used, with one on each side of the ladder.

FIG. 4A shows a top stabilizer that is moveable along the ladder and canbe used to prevent damage to the fascia of a home. The complete topstabilizer assembly is designated by drawing numeral 16 comprises a leftstabilizer rail collar 17A, a right stabilizer rail collar 17B, a leftset screw 18A, a right set screw 18B, a left extension arm 19A, a rightextension arm 19B, an upper stabilizer rod 20, a left block 21A and aright block 21B. The stacking of the ladder section causes the supportarms to form the ladder rails. The collars are slipped over the left andright rails of the ladder 22A and 22B and set at a level desired bymeans of set screws 18A and 18B which are screwed through the blocks andinto the rails to clamp the stabilizer in place against the rails.Attached to the sides of the collars are left and right extension arms19A and 19B which extend from the ladder towards the house and over theroof. Passing through the ends of the extension arms 19A and 19B is theupper stabilizer rod 20, which extends out to the left and to the rightbeyond the position of the stabilizer arm. At the ends of the rod 20 arethe left and right blocks for the upper stabilizer.

In the operation of the top stabilizer 16, the collars are placed overthe rails of the ladder and slid into position and clamped in place bymeans of the set screws 18A and 18B, which are tightened against therails 22A and 22B to set the stabilizer in place on the ladder at adesired level. The extension arms 19A and 19B support the rod 20 and theblocks 21A and 21B located at the end of rod 20. The ladder is placed ata distance away from the house and the blocks of the upper stabilizerare set in place on the roof allowing the ladder to rest on the roof ofthe house without crushing the fascia. The blocks 21A and 21B typicallyhave rubber padding on one side to enable them to rest on the roof ofthe house without damaging it.

FIG. 4B shows a side view of the stabilizer clock 21A which has a cutout 21C for a cable used as necessary to hold the block from slippingand a rubber pad 21D used for the same purpose as well as preventingdamage to the building.

The ladder of the present invention may be used to hoist materials tohigh levels such as the roof of a home. Materials of this type mayinclude paint and heavy items such as shingles. A first hoist 30 of thistype is shown in plan view in FIG. 5A. It comprises a platform 23A, aplatform back stop 23B, platform mounting brackets 24A through 24D andlocking screws for the mounting brackets 25A through 25D. The firsthoist also includes components from the top stabilizer 16, such as theleft and right rail collar 17A and 17B, the left and right set screws18A and 18B and the left extension arms 19A and 19B.

The top stabilizer can be converted to form a hoist by removing thestabilizer bar 20 and the left and right block 21A and 21B. The platform23A with a back stop attached is clamped to the extension arms by meansof the four brackets 24A through 24D and the locking screws 25A through25D. This conversion saves the consumer cost and the commonality ofparts reducing manufacturing costs.

In a first embodiment of the invention, the brackets are attached to theplatform and surround at least the top of the extension arms. Thelocking screws may be either thumb screws to grip the extension arms orscrews which penetrate the extension arms for a more permanentarrangement. The brackets are generally placed at the corners of theplatform to provide maximum strength. The platform lies between theextension arms and the backboard rest against the collars.

The use of the hoist is shown in FIG. 6. This Figure is a side elevationview of the ladder of the present invention used with the hoist of FIG.5A. This Figure shows a wall 9, a ground line 12, a ladder with a rail22B resting on the ground at its bottom and against the wall 9 at itstop, and the hoist shown in FIG. 5A. The components of the hoist thatcan be seen in this Figure include the extension arm 19A, the collar17A, and the back stop 23B. Added to the ladder is a pulley 28 overwhich is placed a line 27. One end of the line is attached to the hoist30 while the other end is dropped down to where an operator can reachit.

To operate the hoist, a load such as 29 shown in FIG. 6 is placed on theplatform of the hoist.

The load is lifted to the top of the ladder by mearly pulling down onthe free end of the line. The platform is hinging to allow it to fold upfor compact storage. The collars guide the hoist on the rails as thehoist is lifted up by the line 27. The hoist may be clamped at the topor at an intermediate position by tightening the screws 18A and 18B.

In a second embodiment, the hoist 31 of FIG. 5C is almost identical tothat of FIG. 5A except the left and right skids 26A and 26B aresubstituted for collars 17A and 17B. Only right skid 26B can be seen inFIG. 6. The skids are longer than the collars to that they can ride onthe ladder rungs and the sled formed by the skids is narrower than thewidth of the ladder. therwise the operation of the two hoists isidentical.

A variation which is within the spirit and scope of the invention is toinclude wheels on the hoist to facilitate raising the hoist on theladder. The wheels include a ratchet which brake to prevent the hoistfrom going down unintentionally. The wheels may include a groove to gripthe rails or may be doubled with one wheel on each side of a rail togrip the rails and prevent the hoist from shifting off of the ladder.The hoist ratchet is released after removing the load or when it isdesired to bring a load down the ladder. A further improvement is toinclude a brake on the wheels to facilitate lowering the hoist with aload. Another improvement is to add a motor winch to raise the hoist. Astill further improvement is to make the hoist collapsible by notchingand hinging the base so that it may be folded up for storage purposes.

1. A ladder comprising: (a) a plurality of sections each section havinga first and a second rail and a plurality of generally uniform stepsplaced between and connected at each end of the step to one of therails, causing the rails to be spaced apart by the width of the steps,said steps being generally orthogonal to said rails and (b) means forconnecting one section of the rail to another section at the ends of therail to form a ladder having a height that is generally a multiple ofthe length of each section.
 2. (canceled)
 3. A ladder as claimed inclaim 1 wherein each of said rails has a first and a second end, saidfirst end having a cross-section that is smaller than that of saidsecond end and said second end having a cavity which tightly accept theinsertion of a first end from another section of ladder into said cavityto permit one section of said ladder to be connected to another sectionof said ladder.
 4. A ladder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said railshave a first and a second end and are uniform in cross section at theirends, said ladder further comprises a first connector that is formed ofa section of material which is less than one-forth the height of theladder sections and has a first and a second end with a cross sectionlarger than that of said rails, said first connector contains a passageway passing through said first connector from the first end to thesecond end which tightly accepts the end of one rail from a first laddersection at the first end of the first connector and said passagewayaccepting one end of the rail from a second section of the ladder at thesecond end of the first connector to connect said first and secondsection of the ladder together.
 5. A ladder as claimed in claim 1further comprising a second connector having a first and a second endand wherein the rails of a first and a second section of ladder eachcontain a cavity at their ends and said second connector has a crosssection which tightly fits into the cavities of said rails, said firstend of said second connector being inserted into said cavity in one ofsaid rails of said first section of the ladder while said second end ofsaid second connector is inserted into said cavity in one of said railsof the second section of the ladder to connect said first and secondsection of ladder.
 6. A ladder as claimed in claim 1 further including atransverse hole passing through the ends of said rails from side toside, said transverse holes at each end of said ladder section lying ona central axis which is generally orthogonal with respect to thelongitudinal axis of each rail and parallel to the steps on the ladder.7. A ladder as claimed in claim 6 having a upper and lower end with saidlower end of said ladder resting on the ground and said ladder furthercomprising a bottom stabilizer which includes a first and a second blockand rod having a first and second end, and said rod being insertedthrough said transverse holes located at the lower end of said ladder,said first block being connected to the first end of said first rod andsaid second block being connected to the second end of said first rod tostabilize the ladder from tipping.
 8. A ladder as claimed in claim 7further comprising a first and a second spike, said first spike beingconnected to said first block and said second spike being connected tosaid second block, said spikes each having a point and said point ofeach of said spikes being oriented on said block to face downward and bepositioned to become embedded in the ground below said ladder when saidladder is rested on the ground to prevent the tipping and skidding ofsaid ladder with respect to the ground.
 9. A ladder as claimed in claim1 wherein said ladder has a lower and an upper end with the lower endresting on the ground, and the upper end position adjacent a verticalstructure, said ladder further comprising a top stabilizer whichincludes a second rod, said second rod having a first and a second end,a third and a forth block, a first rail collar partially surroundingsaid first rail, but avoiding the steps and a second rail collarpartially surrounding said second rail, but avoiding the steps and firstreleasable means for securing said first rail collar to said firstladder rail and second releasable means for securing said second railcollar to said second ladder rail, said top stabilizer further includinga first extension arm attached to the first collar and extending fromthe first collar towards said structure and a second extension armattached to the second collar and extending towards said structure, saidfirst and second extension arms having a near end proximate the railsand a far end away from the rails, said far ends of said extension armseach having a hole, said second rod being passed through said holes insaid extension arms, said third block being connected to said first endof said second rod and said forth block being connected to said secondend of said second rod to space said ladder away from direct contactwith said structure allowing said blocks to make contact with saidstructure and thereby avoid damage to said structure.
 10. A ladder asclaimed in claim 6 further comprising a third rod and two wheels, saidthird rod being passed through said transverse holes at one end of aladder section and one of said wheels being rotatably attached to eachend of said rod to facetalate transporting said ladder section on saidwheels.
 11. A ladder as claimed in claim 10 wherein said laddercomprises a plurality of ladder section positioned side by side withsaid section through which said third rod has been pass and said wheelshave been attached, said ladder further comprising a top, a front, and abottom panel connected in a “C” shape about said ladder sections toenable said plurality of ladder section to be transported on saidwheels.
 12. A ladder as claimed in claim 1 wherein said rails have afirst and a second end and are uniform in cross section at their ends,said ladder further comprising a third connector that is formed of asection of material which is less than one-forth the height of theladder sections and has a first and a second end with a cross sectionlarger than that of the rails, said third connector containing a firstpassage way having central axis which passes through said thirdconnector from the first end to the second end and tightly accept theend of one rail from a first ladder section at the first end of thethird connector and also tightly accepts one end of the rail from asecond section of the ladder at the second end of the third connector toconnect said first and second sections of ladder together, said thirdconnector having a projection on one side, said projection having asecond passage way passing through the projection with a central axisthat is orthogonal to the central axis of said first passage way, saidsecond passage way having an opening to the outside of said thirdconnector and said second passage way being positioned with its axisorthogonal to said rails, the opening of said second passage way facingoutwardly of said ladder, said ladder being positioned with the railsrunning horizontally to form a section of fence which rests on theprojection of said third connector.
 13. A ladder as claimed in claim 12further comprising a third and a forth section of ladder and a secondand a third of said third connectors, connecting said third and forthsections of fence together and a forth connector having a length of lessthan one forth the height of one of said ladder sections and a crosssection which fits tightly in said second passage way being insertedinto the second passage way of the third connector to connect said firstand second sections of ladder and the second passage way of the thirdconnector connecting the third and forth sections of ladder to permitstacking the sections of ladder and supporting them in a stabileposition to provide a fence of double the height of that in claim 6 andto provide a support for scaffolding.
 14. A ladder as claimed in claim 1wherein said ladder has a lower and an upper end with the lower endresting on the ground, and the upper end position adjacent a verticalstructure, said ladder further comprising a hoist which includes, afirst rail collar partially surrounding said first rail, but clearingsaid steps and a second rail collar partially surrounding said secondrail but clearing said step and enabling said hoist to slide up and downon said first and second collars, said hoist further including a crosstray connecting said third and forth collars, said hoist furtherincluding a pulley and a line, said pulley being connected to the top ofthe ladder and said line passing through said pulley and being connectedto said hoist to enable said hoist to be raised and lowered on saidladder by drawing on and releasing the free end of said line.
 15. Aladder as claimed in claim 1 comprising at least a first and a second ofsaid ladder sections held generally upright with the bottoms spacedapart and the sections connected together at their tops to form a stepladder.
 16. A ladder as claimed in claim 15 further comprising a bolt, anut, a top panel and a bottom panel, said top panel resting on top ofthe ladder and lying in the horizontal plane, said bottom panel lyingbelow the first step from the top on both ladder sections, said boltpassing through said first and second panels and being secured in placeby threading said nut on said bolt and tightly said nut to draw saidupper and lower panels together.
 17. A ladder as claimed in claim 16further comprising a first and a second projection on said lower panel,with each projection being located on opposite side of said lower paneland extending upward to capture said first step on each ladder sectionto prevent said ladder from opening beyond a specific limit.
 18. Aladder as claimed in claim 17 further comprising a flexible lineconnected between said first and second ladder sections below the firststep from the top to prevent said sections from spreading beyond aprescribed limit.